David Geer to replace John Lloyd as Virgin Atlantic Cargo chief

Virgin Atlantic’s John Lloyd is to be replaced by freight newcomer David Geer, who will become managing director cargo after Mr Lloyd leaves in August.

Mr Geer joined the airline in 2012, as head of strategy and development at Virgin Holidays, following six years as a manager with LEK Consulting. He became interim managing director of Virgin Holidays in February, following a stint as commercial, product and business development director.

He has also headed revenue management, and strategy and development for the holiday company.

Mr Lloyd announced in May he had decided to leave after 30 years. Under his watch, the carrier has developed a reputation for good customer service and a tight-knit cargo team.

“John has been a great leader of Virgin Atlantic Cargo and has helped us to consistently punch above our weight in the cargo market,” said Phil Maher, executive vice president cargo operations.

“With his own proven track record within the Virgin organisation, David also understands our passion for customer service and I am confident he will continue to take the business forward with the support of our outstanding cargo team.”

One of his initial roles will be to further align Virgin’s cargo business with that of shareholder Delta, as the pair look to create more consistency across the carriers.

Mr Geer said: “John is certainly going to be a hard act to follow but this is an exciting new challenge and I am really looking forward to working with our cargo team and getting to know our customers.

“Virgin Atlantic Cargo has a great reputation for its service levels, strong customer relationships and winning mentality, and the business has a very important role to play in the continued growth of the airline.”